"A sidekick... is that all I really am?"
— Scooby-Doo
Sick in bed before the finals of the Mystery Solvers Club, Scooby-Doo recovers in time, only to discover that he and some of his fellow sidekicks from the other clubs (Speed Buggy, The Funky Phantom, Jabberjaw, and Captain Caveman) must deal with a ghostly monster to save their friends.
The episode provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: Mudsy. Justified in that it is All Just a Dream, and the character is fictional in-universe.
- Adrenaline Makeover: Principal Quinlan. She starts off as very nervous and upset but the frantic pace and perils of the mystery causes her to lose her ponytail, glasses, and the top buttons of her blouse, and gains a more adventurous attitude.
- Hell, we even see her keeping her phone in her bra, literally seconds after she gets her adrenaline rush. Oh, and cleavage. Lots of cleavage...
- Adults Are Useless: The only adults in this episode are Principal Quinlan, Angel Dynamite, and Sheriff Stone (and Mayor Jones, if you count him getting mentioned earlier on). For once, this trope is mostly averted, as Quinlan and Angel actively try to help the mascots, but played straight for Stone, and it's not like Mayor Jones would've been much help anyway.
- Affectionate Parody: The entire episode attempts to be a loving send-up of the old cartoons YMMV on how well it achieved that. Considering it foregrounds itself as Scooby fever dream after being called a "sidekick" this can somewhat excuse the stars of their respective shows being called sidekicks in-universe. It doesn't however absolve it from criticism that while all of them starred in You Meddling Kids cartoons, calling Speed Buggy or Jabberjaw mystery solvers is a stretch and every single one of these seemingly helpless characters rescued their meddling kid partners pretty often in their respective shows.
- All Just a Dream: Scooby-Doo dreamt up the entire mystery.
- Ambiguous Situation: Ostensibly, the events of this episode were dreamt up by Scooby in his feverish state, yet it turns out that the man in charge of the event looks and sounds exactly like The Funky Phantom. No explanation is given for how Scooby would know what he looks or sounds like, given that he reacts as though this is the first time he's ever met him.
- Art Shift: Scooby-Doo's dream is done in the style of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! There's even subtle blips and film scratches throughout.
- Big "NO!": Twice by Fred because the gang can't go to the Mystery Solvers Club Finals as Scooby is sick.
- Breather Episode: No Mr. E., no Pericles, and a plot that's a little less dark and edgy.
- Cameo Cluster: Scooby dreams he's at said state finals, where he meets Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, The Funky Phantom, and Captain Caveman, all sidekicks from other Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
- Crossover: Scooby-Doo forms a group with the expies of himself from similar shows.
- A Day in the Spotlight: As Velma lampshades, "For the first time ever, the sidekicks have solved the mystery!"
- Doing In the Wizard: The Funky Phantom reveals that he was an out-of-work actor doing a weird "Scooby-Doo" Hoax variation ever since his in-series origin.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: The motive rant for The Funky Phantom/Lord Infernicus.
- Filler: The episode contributes nothing to the main plot other than possibly world-building by suggesting that the other cartoons exist in the Mystery Incorporated universe (and as we learn later, Jonny Quest and Dynomutt, Dog Wonder exist as well) and introducing the Crystal Cove High School’s principal (albeit she’s a One-Shot Character).
- Velma treats Scooby decently rather than abrasively despite the events of the previous episodes (which continues after this episode).
- This episode can also easily be skipped when binge-watching without any interference to the plot.
- Forced Transformation: Scooby and the other sidekicks find what appear to be their human friends turned into guinea pigs (with their normal hairstyles and appropriately sized Iconic Outfits). Scooby has an Out-of-Character Alert when Guinea Pig!"Shaggy" violently rejects an offered Scooby Snack.
- Foreshadowing: Mudsy keeps trying to get the other sidekicks to give up on their friends. Also, when Mudsy storms off around a corner during an argument with Scooby. Lord Infernicus promptly appears from around the same corner.
- Hulk Speak: Captain Caveman.
- In the End, You Are on Your Own: Everyone else is out of commission or useless, so it's up to Scooby, Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman, Principal Quinlan, and Angel to save the kids from Lord Infernicus.
- Innocently Insensitive: While comforting Scooby by saying that they would never leave him behind, Velma states that it's because he's their sidekick. Scooby takes offense to it, as being called their "sidekick" implies that they don't see him as their equal, their friend.
- Kick the Dog: Fred really wants to go to the meeting, even if it means leaving Scooby behind. The rest of the gang had to convince him otherwise, but he's clear he didn't get over it anyway. Possibly Innocently Insensitive, given Fred seems to have a mental disorder (and he does excuse himself to cry rather than complain in front of the others) and the rest of the gang don't seem irritated by his behavior.
- Monster of the Week: Lord Infernicus, a fiery being who kidnaps all the kids and orders the "sidekicks" to solve the mystery.
- Non-Indicative Title: The episode and event are called the Mystery Solvers Club State Finals. The episode ends before the Gang actually goes, and in Scooby's dream, the only thing that happens is that Principal Quinlan is supposed to make a welcome speech and announce this year's winners before they have a party. The entire episode is about Scooby dreaming about him, the "sidekicks", Angel, and Principal Quinlan looking for the kids and saving them from Lord Infernicus.
- Police Are Useless: Principal Quinlan resorts to using a phone she confiscated from a student in order to call the police for help. Sheriff Stone refuses to help, believing that it is some sort of prank call from the student.
- Retreaux: The dream segments include bits of film grain as a send-up to the 1960s quality of animation that the episode homages.
- Shadow Discretion Shot: Spoofed. Fred assures Scooby they wouldn't leave him behind at the Mystery Solvers State Finals, but then excuses himself to go sob and wail — but we hear Fred and see his shadow angsting.Daphne: (winks to Scooby) They actually put it off till next week so you could get better... but we haven't told Fred yet.
- Show Within a Show: Captain Caveman, Jabberjaw, and Speed Buggy are revealed to be figurines that Shaggy owns, implying that their cartoons may be fictional within Mystery Incorporated.
- Suddenly Voiced: Boo, the Funky Phantom's Sidekick. Complete with Larynx Dissonance.
- Verbal Tic: Jabberjaw's Curly-esque "nuyk, nyuk, nyuk" laugh.
- The Voiceless: Despite them appearing, the humans who worked with Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman, Speed Buggy, and the Funky Phantom have no lines in this episode.
- Wham Shot: The Mystery Inc. walking into the gym... with the camera panning out to reveal that the club meeting is composed of a few other cartoons.
- Scooby: Aahh! It's him! Funky Phantom! Funky Phantom!
Chairman: Heavens to Delaware! Was it something I said?
